Rotaby internal-combustion engine



Aug. 7, 1923.

S. B. COLLIER ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March '1, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOR/VEVS Aug. 7 1923.

- 1.464.408 S; B. COLLIER ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 1, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ITO/M1578 Aug.7, 1923. 1,464,408

4 s. B. COLLIER ROTARY IXTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 1. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES mm/ToR 8.8.

A TTORNE Y8 Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHADE B. COLLIER, OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed March 1, 1922. Serial No. 540,119.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SHADE B. CoLLnsR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Orlando, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to internal combustion engines of the rotary type, my primary object being the provision of an internal combustion engine which will be efficient, economical and practically without vibration in operation.

A further object is the provision of an internal combustion engine of the rotary type which will be highly effective and efficient in use by virtue of the construction, relative disposition and operation of certain of. the parts precluding leakage and thus maintaining uniformly high compression at all times without the disadvantages growing out of the collection of carbon, as exist in internal combustion engines of the reciprocating type.

Other and further objects together with the resulting advantages of my invention, will more clearly appear in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which show various parts and which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine proposed by my invention,

Figure Qlis a central vertical transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3,

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally through the engine on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section through a portion of the rings of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of shifting of each piston,

Figure 10 is a detail perspective view of one of the composite pistons, the parts being shown in detached relation, and

Figure 11 is a face view of one of the piston blades.

Referring now to these figures my invention proposes a rotaryinternal combustion engine of that type in which a rotor 15 having laterally slidable pistons 16 at three equidistantly spaced points therearound, is mounted upon a power shaft 17 between the side sections 18 and 19 of the stator, each of which side sections is hollow to provide water spaces 20 for the circulation of. cooling fluid through the stator from a lower water intake connection 21 to an upper water outlet connection 22 completing a circulation through any suitable cooling apparatus as lfor instance an automobile radiator and the ike.

The rotor 15 is secured upon an annularly shouldered portion 23 of the power shaft 17, the latter of which while useful for various purposes, is shown in Figure 8 as provided upon an exposed portion with a "fan 24 it is desired to drive. This annularly shouldered portion 23 is grooved so as to form, with similar grooves 25 of the rotor, a series of slots for the reception of connecting keys, the latter of which are held firmly in place by side clamping rings 26 secured to the rotor within annular grooves of the latter around the power shaft at opposite sides of its shoulder 23.

The side sections 18 and 19 ot the stator, which have lower supporting flanges or foot portions 27, and of which side section 18 is the intake section and side section 19 is the exhaust section, are connected by transverse clamping bolts 28, the latter of which pass between these side sections beyond the periphery of the rotor and through inwardly offset outer portions of the stator which abut one another in the median plane of the rotor and have bolted flanges 29, the connecting bolts appearing at 30 through these flanges.

The inner portions of the side sections I and 19 of the stator also support roller lJQiLI- ings 31 around the power shaft 17 in order to reduce friction in operation and avoid wear of the shaitt due to any angular strains which might be in1p sed than-con. by virtue ot side thrust of the rotor.

In the circular plane of inoveinent of theseveral laterally shittable pistons 16 oi? the roton the inner faces oi? the side sections 18 and 19 or the stator have recessed chain-- hers at diametrically opposed points the intake and compression chambers 39 oi sec tion 18 alternating with the ex gilosion and exhaust chambers 33 oi the section it will be clearly seen by a comparison 01' Figures at and 5, These chambers in their alternating; relation and with sloping end portions or shoulders i and a 5, form tor-- trio-us passage for the pistons it; causing: the latter to shiiit laterally between and. into tl e chambers during movement of the; rotor.

In order that the desired power move zncnts of the rotor may take place each in take and compression chamber 32 is in comnninication at its respective side of the rotor" with one branch or? the intake inani'told 3th,. the latter shown particularly in Figure l as leading from a carburetor having a. gas supply line 38. This combustible :lfuel intake of: sec intake and compression chrunher shown at 39 in Figure i and is: located as will be noted from this li uro at the forward end of the chamber with respect to the direction of movement of the rotor so that as eachpiston. l6 proceeds intoeach intake chamber it will compress thecl'iarge of fuel at that time within the Cllltllh her, between the piston and the res 1." end of the" chamber. This compressed chance is then transition-ed throughthe rotor to the forward. end ojE'the next explosion chamber 33 upon. the relatively opposite side of the rotor by virtue ot annular channels all) and 4111 respectively at the front and rear 01" each piston 16 channel 4:0 having a flaring n'iouthl 42 at its outer end opening laterally through the rotor toward the stator section 18 and clmnnel-ill having: a :ilarino month i at its outer end opening laterally through the rotor toward the stator section 11;). These channelsdl] and -fl-1 are placed in COlIlIilUlllcation with one another the charge is compressed in each intalii and compression chamber 32 and continue in ommunication until therot'or. has preceded to a point where the flaring; mouth it opens into the next succeeding; explosion chamber 3?) by virtue of diametricallt opposed 4 are ate grooves 44 in the inner tacos oi. the inner annular ringl's 4-5 seated in annuhv grooves 46 around the inner suritzmes oi the stator v sections and disposed to engage the rotor around the inner portion of its outer reduced piston supporting portion. These rings are stationary with the stator sections will be hereinafter described and thus the grooves stand at all times ready to establish connminication between the inner ends of the angular rhannels 4:0 and -li of the rotor in order to properly 1 inster the thinned charges from the intalre to the vexplosive side of the rotor, each explosion chamber 33 being in connnunication at its forward end with res} e :t to the direction oi increment of the rotor with a spark plug lrTtired at the 'proper time in order to en plode the charge of gas transferred through the rotor from in front oi? each piston to tlle rear of each piston, after the respective charge transterrino groove 4:1 of the inner ring t5 has been passed and connnunication between the angular channels 4:0 and 4151 has thus been broken.

l laeh explosion chamber 32 DIOTQOYQX' in co nnninication at its rear end throinrh an exhaust port 8 with one branch oi tin exhaust manifold 49 so that following each t-JIPlUSl'VG stroke and the succeeding: inoie inent oi the rotor during which the piston is shifted into the neat opposite intake than her, the explosion chamber is thus in open comn'uinication with the exhai'lst and is in to it thoroughly scavenged by virtue of the passage of thenertsuccessire piston thereinto. i

From the foregoing: description and lit rctterem-e to the several figures and Fiizure Qin particulait will be noted that while there are two points oi llltllkth diainetricallr' opporl and two points of exhaust also dial n'n-itrically op mred, the rotor is gz-rox 'idcd with three pistons at eqil'lflll tillllilf spaced points tl'ierearouiirh each piston proce iinsr through the operations previouslv def-icriheil so that there will be no two explosions at the same time and a continuous torque of niovenici'it is brought about. i

in addition to the inner ring; ].)l'(EVl0!lH- 1 mentioned oitlterrings ofi areprovided and are seated in the inner surfaces of the sections l8 and. 19 of the stator to enna-sre tliat portion oit-the rotor outwardly bcl oird the ']')lF-l3()]1S '16, both the inner ringis 4: 3 and the outer ring; '50 being in two parts 5i and iii? liar-sing paralh l miter side sorta-i s and having inner abuttingbeveled suriaccsi section 532 haviu; at spaced points therearound recesses 53 receiving laterallv projecting" pins 54; ot the section 51 so that the sections are prevented from relative rotation. The sections oil the veral ring-s have split beveled ends 55. lilte the split beveled ends 56 of the sections Til and sectio 59 are also provided with laterallv projecting; pins extending throue'h the side sections 18 and l9 and outwardlv berond the side surfaces of these s ctions for the reception of springs 58, these outer ends Ito of the pins 57 being mounted through external side brackets 59 of the stator sections, against which brackets the said springs 58 bear in order to yleldingly press the pins 5T inwardly at all times and thus yieldingly press the ringsesj and 50 against the rotor 15 inwardly of and outwardly be yond its piston 16 and at the same time spread the sections 51 and of the rings by virtue of the relatively engaging inner beveled surfaces of the rings as plainly seen in Figures 8, 7 and S.

The rotor 15 isalso provided between its equidistantly spaced pistons 16 with radial grooves 60, having undercut side walls and receiving radially disposed pressure members 61, one of which is shown lll'tlizlll in Figure 6, having lengthwise grooves 62, these pressure members extending between the inner packing ring as and the outer packing ring 50 and being adapted to press outwardly against the inner surfaces of the stator sections 18 and 19 between the chambers thereof at opposite sides of the rotor in order to further avoid leakage, outward pressure of these pressure members 61 being preferably brought about by the introduction o1 lubricating oil under suitable pressure through an oil supply pipe 63 which extends inwardly through the peripheral portion of the stator and opens into its annular cavity against the periphery of the rotor, the latter of which is preferably provided with radial oil channels (il in communication with the transverse oil passages 65. These oil passages 65 it will be noted from Figure 3 open through the sides of the rotor 15 against the inner and outer rings a5 and 50 and also against the pres sure members 61.

In order that the several pistons may move easily through the tortuous pathway in the travel of the rotor and at the same time minimize leakage past the same, each piston is tormed'o'l a series of piston plates (36 with relatively thinspacing plates 67 between and upon opposite sides of the piston plates. Each piston plate, one of which is shown in Figure 11, is in two L-shaped sections 68 and 69 with springs 70 disposed therebetween at spaced points therealong including the inner offset or shouldered portions 71 so that the several piston plates are thus expansible in all directions, each piston plate being also provided at diagonally opposite corners with laterally outstanding pins 72 which loosely enter apertures 73 in the ad jacent sectional spacing plates 67, the sections of the latter of which have interengaging tongues 74 and recesses 75 so that by alternately reversing the several plates it becomes quite obvious that leakage through the piston is prevented and the piston is at the same time able to yield easily, without friction, and with minimum leakage past its sides, along the angular or curved portions of the piston channel at the ends of the intake; and explosion compartments in the manner shown by the diagram, Figure 9.

Thus it will be understood that in operation as each piston shi'lts laterally into one of the intake and compression chambers 32, the charge which has previously filled the chamber by virtue o'l its open communication with the adjacent intake port 39, is compressed in "front of the piston and forced into the angular channel. 4-0 in a highly compressed state through the intake mouth 42 of this channel so as to be ready for transfor through the rotor into the adjacent end of the next successive explosion chamber 3?) and behind the piston when the latter shifts into the explosion chamber as in Figure 4, this transfer taking place as soon as communication is established between the inner ends of the channels 40 and ll. through the adjacent groove 44 of the ring The charge is then fired and burns completely in the explosion chamber 33 until the piston shifts into the next succeeding intake chainbcr whereupon the exploded charge exhausts through the exhaust ports 48. This operation takes place continuously in the move ment of the rotor as each of its pistons approach one of the intake chambers and in view of the fact that there are three pistons in the rotor and but two points of power ap plication, diametrically opposed to one another, it is quite obvious power is derived from a continuous series of single explosions which make up a torque of movement as nearly uniform as is possible in the motor of a size adapted for automobiles motor cycle and launch driving is concerned. It is also obvious that this proportion of parts may be carried out on a greater scale in larger motors.

It is furthermore obvious the particular rings and pressure members as well as the construction of the pistons, I am able to minimize leakage. maintain a uniformly high compression and in this way insure maximum power coupled with minimum wear and low cost of upkeep.

I claim:

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a plurality of pistons, a rotor in which the pistons are laterally slidable, having angular channels at opposite sides of said pistons whose inner ends open through the same side of the rotor inwardly beyondtthe pistons and whose outer ends open through relatively opposite sides of the rotor, a stator in which the rotor operates having fuel receiving and charge compressing recesses to receive one end of the pistons at one side of the rotor and having recesses to receive the opposite ends of the pistons at the opposite that by use of ceases circuinterentially ot the rotor, ignitiu tion between the inner ends of the said angular channels of the rotor.

In a rotary internal. combustion engine, a plurality o't pistons, a rotor in which the pistons are laterally shittable, having angular channels at opposite sides ot said pistons whose inner ends open through the 881116 side ot' the rotor inwardly beyond the pistons and whose outer ends open through relatively opposite sides of the rotor, a stator in which the rotor operates having luel, receivinpjand charge compressing recesses for the pistons at one side of the rotor and havingrecesses tor the pistons at opposite sides or the rotor forming explosion chambers and alternating with the said intake recesses, igniting means in said explosion chambers, and rings within the stator adjacent to the rotor and inwardly beyond the pistons, one

controlling comm? which rings has rece ses ot the munication between the inner ends said angular channels of the rotor.

ill-In a rotary internal combustion cup-inc, a rotor having laterally shittable pistons, a stator having rotor compartment and hav-' ing; a tortuo .s annular passage for the pistons including intake and explosion chambers, and rings within and around. the stator cngagino the rotor at points adjacent to the inner and outer edges of the pistons.

4;. In a rotary internal con'ibustion erq ine, a rotor having laterally shiftable pistons, a stator having a rotor compartment and llflV- int; a tortuous annular passage for the pistons including" intake and explosion chainhers, and rings within and around the Sll-2lt(")].

engaging the rotor at points adjacent to the inner and, outer edges ot' the pistons, each ot' said rings being intwo split circular sec tions having laterally alnitting beveled faces, and means to continuously apply pressure to one of said sections for expaniiling the other sectioi'i.

' In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotor having laterally shittable pistons, a stator having a rotor compartment and having a tortuous annular passage for the pistons in eluding intake and explosion chambers, sealing rino s withinaniil around the stator engaging the rotor at points adjacent to the inner and outer edges of the pistons, each of said rings being); in two split circularscctions having laterally abutting beveled taces and spring pressed stems extendfrom one 01": said sections and projectingexteriorly through the stator acting to hold. therinp; sectionsin close Contact.

6. ln a rotary internal combustion ennine, a rotor having laterally shittable pistons, a stator having a rotor compartment and having a tortuous annularpassage for the pistons including intake and explosion chambers, sealing rings within and around. the stator engaging. the rotor at points adjacent to the inner and outer edges of the pistons, each ot said rings being in two split circular sections having laterally abutting; beveled tacos, stems projecting :troni one of said sections exteriorly through the stator, brackets on the stator sides, and springs hav ing bearing in said brackets and engaging the said projecting stems acting to hold the ring sections in close contact.

7. In a rotary internal. combustion engine a rotor having laterally shittable pitons at circumterentially spaced points, a stator having; a compartment in which the rotor moves and having a tortuous annular passage in the walls of said compartments to receive. the pistons and incliiiding intake. and explosion chambers, sealingrings around and within the said compartment oi the stator engaging the rotor inwardly of and outwardly beyond the said pistons. and pressure members carried by the rotor and having limited lateral movement with respect thereto :t'or movably engaging the stator between its said rings.

8. In a rotary internal combust on engine, a rotor having laterally shittable pistons a stator having a rotor coimniri-nent and having; a tortuous annular passage for the pistons including intake and explosion chambers. and sealing; rings within and around the stator engaging; the rotor at points adjacent to the inner and outer edges of the pistons, said rotor having: radial dove tail grooves at spa ed points: between its said pistons, and pressure plates having beveled sides movably disposed within said grooves to engage the stator between its said rings.

9. In an internal com ustion engine, a rotor having laterally shittable pistons, a stator having a compartment in which the rotor moves and having a. tortuous passa'uzje around and within said :ompartment tor the pistons, including: intake I and ncploscion chambers at opposite sides oi. the rotor and in alternating: relation therearoui'ul. having! slopingends. each of said pistons including a series of iuxtapcsml piston plates in lengthwise and transversely yieldable sections, and spacing plates between and upon opposite sides o'l the series oi piston. plates, said spacing plates being inovably eonuemted to the piston plates and in relatively movable sections arranged to cov the joints between. the sections of the piston. plates.

10. In an internal comlmstion engine, a rotor having; laterally slidable pistons and having charge ti'ansiterriug channels extending transversely therethroi'lgh from one side to the other and. angularly' from the trout to the rear oi? each of the p.ietoi:is,1 a

stator having a rotor compartment and a tortuous annular passage for the pistons including transversely alined intake and explosion chambers at relatively opposite sides 5 of the rotor in the former of which fuel is compressed and transferred through the said rotor channels to the explosion chamhers, igniting means in the explosion chambers, and sealing rings for the rotor nonrotatably supported in connection with the stator having means for controlling the flow of fuel through said transfer channels of the rotor as described.

SHADE B. COLLIER. 

